


A Softer Light

by greywords



Category: Green Lantern Corps (Comics)
Genre: A softer world - Freeform, M/M, Rating varies per drabble
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-10
Updated: 2014-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-15 07:29:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1296556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greywords/pseuds/greywords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The universe shines a softer light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. whispers

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series of drabbles based loosely around the comic strips of [A Softer World](http://www.asofterworld.com/) and featuring Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner.
> 
> I don't know how many of these there will be to be honest. So we just havta wait and see.
> 
> Partially gifted to my dear friend Kenney, the Guy to my Kyle.

**I.**   
**everyone points and whispers about us.**   
**we must be doing something right.**

          The sound of the bar nearly drowns out the patron's whispering. Had they not been sitting at the bar itself, Kyle wouldn't have even caught the sound of alien words bouncing between them and the fellow that sits beside them. His ring translates the words as he works, drying the glass in his hands before he sets it back on the shelf behind him.

          A smile touches his face when he realizes they're talking about him. And Guy. He glances down the bar, spotting Guy where he leans over the bar and laughs at something Isamot says. Vath wears his normal scowl to the left of his partner; Kyle can only suppose the joke is at his expense.

          Any assumptions of his relationship with Guy being anything outside of simply friends are fairly on the mark; the two don't act like just friends and anyone who assumes that they are, by this time, are fairly blind. Kyle rolls his eyes when the alien's friend tries to argue that the two bar owners were simply sector partners, a laugh bubbling in his throat at the idea. His friend points towards Kyle, then to Guy, and Guy wanders over to Kyle, curious of the conversation.

          “You've been watchin' them for ten minutes, Kyle. What're they talking about?”

          “Hm. Nothing.” When Kyle turns and gives a very quick peck to Guy's lips, the alien's companion has a startled sort of look, and then one of disappointment- his friend laughs, smug that his assumption had been right.


	2. ciphers

**II.**   
**i think up ciphers**   
**to trace onto your skin**   
**because it doesn't feel safe**   
**to just say “i love you.”**

          The faint touch of Kyle's fingers down Guy's face wakes him early this morning. He can tell it's early because when he squints at the window behind Kyle, the sun isn't even peeking over the horizon just yet. He has to assume that it's early morning, since Oa doesn't run on Earth time.

          Kyle looks wide awake, meaning he's been awake for more than half an hour. His fingers trail featherlight over the bridge of Guy's nose and across his cheekbones. His hands are bare; his ring sits on the bedside table, flickering with a faint emerald light. Kyle still refuses to sleep with it on, even after he began sleeping beside Guy, and nothing Guy said would change his mind about it.

          His green eyes trail over Guy's face and he smiles when he knows Guy's awake.

          “Did I wake you?”

          “Only a little. How long've you been awake?”

          “A little while. Couldn't sleep.” It's the only thing he says, but Guy can see the faint signs of his defenses going up; he'd had another nightmare. There was no mistaking that.

          “Wanna talk about it?” Guy catches Kyle's hand, his ring throwing faint green light across their features. Kyle's eyes glow bright green with the light and he shakes his head.

          “Not yet.”

          “Alright.” It's Guy's only reply, and he curls his fingers with Kyle's, lifting the artist's hand and pressing a kiss to the top of his fingers. “That's fine by me.”


	3. bang

**III.**   
**this is how the world ends:**   
**not with a bang but**   
**because explosions don't make sound in space.**

          Kyle can't figure which way is up and which way is down. His head is spinning and he reaches blindly for the only other spot of color that he can see in the void-- a sharp shade of green that he himself wears, painted across a vest that hangs half open.

          He curls his fingers around the fabric and pulls himself closer to Guy. The other Lantern grabs his wrist and tugs Kyle against him, where Kyle curls against his chest. The beat of Guy's heart, while fast following the explosion, is steady and alive beneath Kyle's ear. He breathes a sigh of relief and wraps his arms around his partner's neck, hugging himself close.

          “....we're alive, right?” He breathes the words onto Guy's throat, feeling Guy's arms pull him closer to his chest. Guy's face finds Kyle's hair, pressing his nose into the black strands. Kyle's ring flickers when Guy smiles against his hair.

          “Yeah. We're alive.” He shifts Kyle against him, before pressing a kiss to the artist's lips. Kyle responds with a content noise.

          They're alive. It makes the kiss that much better.


	4. "loving husband."

**IV.**

**i've decided what i want on my tombstone.**

**“loving husband.”**

**marry me?**

        “Marry me.”

        The words make Guy stop where he's standing. The bar is quiet; it's a moment between the rushes and it's just the two of them. The redhead turns to his partner, eyeing him quietly.

        Kyle is stirring his straw through a brightly colored alien drink he made Guy throw together for him. He's partial to the alien drinks, more so than the cocktails that Guy feels are a little too “Californian” for himself. There's another empty glass sitting beside the one Kyle swirls around now, but his eyes are clear; he's not drunk, which makes Guy's heart flip a little.

        “Come again?”

        “You heard me.” He picks up the drink, sipping on it as he watches Guy. “We're basically married anyways. We should make it official. It'd give us an excuse to go to Earth and see our friends.”

        Guy's quiet for a moment and leans against the bar across from Kyle. Kyle smiles, the look softening his expression.

        “You mean it?”

        “Would I have said it if I didn't?”

        Guy pauses. Kyle's a right asshole sometimes, but this wasn't something he would joke about. He's pulled from his thoughts when Kyle pokes him lightly on the nose with a construct, drinking down the last of the alien drink.

        “So, are you going to give me a yes?”

        Guy grins and reaches up, pulling Kyle down into a kiss. There's a faint taste of berries covering the obvious taste of alcohol from Kyle's drink. When he pulls away, Guy is grinning.

        “That's my yes.”


	5. dangerous

**V.**   
**i love the way your face lights up**   
**when someone says,**   
**“it might be dangerous.”**

        Listening to Salaak brief them for missions can be equal parts boring and entertaining-- all depending on Guy's mood.

        More often than not, the barkeep is happy to interrupt Salaak and be a general ass towards the alien, much to Salaak's irritation. On days when Guy was quiet and listening, the briefings were, in all honesty, the most boring things Kyle ever had to sit through.

        He rubs at his eyes beneath his mask for a brief moment, frowning a little when he fixes it back into place. Guy looks fairly bored as well, but sits quiet to his right. Salaak continues with what he's saying.

        A scouting job on another planet is nothing too difficult. Guy looks fairly disappointed that they're getting sent out to do this until Salaak mentions there's a fair number of hostile cells on the planet. Kyle smiles some because Guy's expression brightens immediately; he's suddenly attentive and there's a mischievous glint in his eyes.

        “Are you ready to leave?” Salaak folds his hands and eyes them once he's finished speaking.

        “Are you kidding? We were _born_ ready.”


	6. terrifying

**VI.**   
**i want people to tell their children**   
**terrifying stories of the things we did**   
**for love.**

        Guy's hands are on his shoulders, hard and pulling and clothed in black and crimson. They pull on Kyle, pulling the blue fabric tight against his shoulders until it strains against his shoulder blades. Kyle runs gloved fingers over Guy's cheeks, cupping his face gently in a calming gesture. The blue that glows off of Kyle is garish against the angry red of Guy's uniform.

        Guy grits his teeth and holds tighter to Kyle, twisting slightly when Kyle presses their foreheads together. He makes a quiet noise, to hush Guy, and smooths his fingers through Guy's hair a moment.

        “Guy. Guy, it's okay. I'm okay and you're okay.” He glances over Guy's face from behind his mask, green eyes masked over with blue beneath the lenses.

        Guy simply holds tighter to Kyle, stressing the fabric of his uniform even more. Kyle frowns, fearing he might be unable to calm Guy this time-- when Guy presses his face to Kyle's neck, settling against his partner's chest and shoulder.

        A smile touches Kyle's face as he curls around Guy, stroking his fingers through Guy's hair and letting him settle against his chest. Guy's hands release Kyle's uniform and he winds his arms around the artist's torso, holding himself to him. Any words he spoke were muffled against Kyle's chest, lost in the cloth. Kyle simply smiles, holding Guy to him and letting himself be held.

        “Guy, I've got you. Don't worry-- I've got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based vaguely off of an au that my friend and I have where Guy is a Red Lantern and Kyle is a Blue Lantern and they have a very tenuous, but loving sort of relationship.


	7. compliment

**VII.**

**“it's a compliment in their culture.”**

**i am never believing anything you say again.**

          He's laughing. He can't tell if it's because he's hysterical from the situation or because Guy is laughing right along beside him as they speed away from the group of screaming aliens. Guy nudges by Kyle, turning when he gets ahead of the artist.

            “I am never trusting anything you say again, Guy.” The words have no bite due to the breathless laughter escaping Kyle, but he tries to put as much force behind it as he can.

            “Now, I know that's a lie.” He grins and Kyle decides somewhere in his mind that Guy is never to be the diplomat on the missions. Kyle will drag along someone else- John, probably, since the man is the most levelheaded and straightforward person Kyle knows- but never ever is Guy allowed to join him on diplomatic jobs again.

          Seeing Guy laughing like so, however, does make Kyle's certainty wobble. He might let Guy come along, but Guy's never to be an impromptu translator again.


	8. new things

**VIII.**

**sometimes i think**

**about someone i love dying**

**and the new things**

**i would get to feel.**

           It's not even that funny. It's not funny at all. Kyle's not sure what to think so he laughs a little hysterically. The hard knot in his stomach burns in a feeling Kyle recognizes as grief, guilt and a bit of anger. And yet – he's laughing.

          He's laughing and there's blood staining his face, darkening and drying and pulling at his skin as he slides to his knees. He's laughing, but he's crying too; tears leave tracks in the drying blood on his face. Some of the blood is his, dripping from a cut in his hairline and a gash on his cheek, but some is from the enemy.

          Kilowog has a worried expression and he bends down to wrap his arms around Kyle's shoulders. He's shaking without realizing it and Kilowog's hands are big and warm when he holds onto Kyle.

         He's laughing and the sound dips off to a hard sob that locks up in his lungs as he leans into Kilowog and curls his fingers around the ring in his hands, clutching onto it as he listens to the message Guy left him on it, his voice rough but with a sad tone beneath it.


End file.
